On June 15, The Foreign Relations Bureau-Iraq hosted its first public event titled: 'Middle East States and Non-State Actors: Iran, Iraq, Syria'. The discussions generated throughout the day focused on the political dynamics in Iraq and neighbouring countries.

Dr. Bianka Speidl, spoke of the ways in which low-intensity conflicts are being exported to Europe, from Iraq. Her paper centred on the materialisation of the Sunni-Shia divide, and the rise of sectarian entrepreneurs embedded within religious, transnational networks.

Mr. Michael Clark delivered a presentation that places the government's handling of the Islamic State under scrutinizing light. The question his paper poses is an important but often forgotten one: 'to what extent can we speak of a 'Sh'i response' to IS? Engaging with the debate about the current government fight against terror, Clark's talk revisited the sub-state actors involved in the battles wages since Sistani's 2014 Fatwa enabled the formation of Iraq’s Popular mobilization Forces (PMF) un-picking their loyalties and ambitions.

The final panel, which included presentations from Dr. Cengis Gunes, and Dr. Muhanad Seloom, focused on the movement and future of Kurds in Iran. Bteween them, they placed the question into historical context, to forecast the future of Kurds in Iran.